CVE-2021-43750 in Premiere Rush
Summary
by MITRE • 12/21/2021
Adobe Premiere Rush versions 1.5.16 (and earlier) are affected by a Null pointer dereference vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to achieve an application denial-of-service in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2021
Adobe Premiere Rush version 1.5.16 and earlier contains a null pointer dereference vulnerability that represents a critical weakness in the application's memory management mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the category of improper handling of null values during program execution, which is classified as CWE-476 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The flaw occurs when the application attempts to access memory locations through null pointers without proper validation, leading to unexpected program termination. The vulnerability specifically affects the file processing functionality where the application fails to properly validate input file structures before attempting to dereference pointers within the parsing logic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial-of-service conditions, as it creates a potential vector for more sophisticated attacks within the context of user interaction. Attackers can craft malicious files that, when opened by an unsuspecting user, trigger the null pointer dereference condition and cause the application to crash or become unresponsive. This behavior aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code or disrupt normal operations. The requirement for user interaction makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it relies on social engineering tactics to achieve successful exploitation, making it more difficult to detect and prevent through automated security measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where input validation and error handling mechanisms fail to account for null pointer scenarios during file processing operations. When Premiere Rush attempts to parse malformed or specially crafted files, the application's file parser encounters null references that it cannot properly handle, resulting in application instability and potential system resource exhaustion. This type of vulnerability represents a fundamental flaw in the software's defensive architecture and highlights the importance of implementing robust null pointer checks and proper exception handling throughout the codebase. The vulnerability's classification as a denial-of-service condition indicates that successful exploitation can render the application completely unusable for the affected user, potentially disrupting creative workflows and productivity.
Organizations and individual users should immediately update to Adobe Premiere Rush version 1.5.17 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this null pointer dereference vulnerability. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all instances of the software are updated across enterprise environments. Additionally, users should exercise caution when opening files from untrusted sources and consider implementing sandboxing techniques to isolate potentially malicious files. The vulnerability's requirement for user interaction means that security awareness training becomes crucial for preventing successful exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing file filtering mechanisms and network-based intrusion detection systems to identify and block potentially malicious file transfers. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other creative software applications that may be vulnerable to similar null pointer dereference conditions.